Cheryl Hines is navigating a dramatically altered social landscape as her marriage to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues to strain longtime Hollywood relationships while opening doors to new connections in Washington. The actress, known for her role on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” recently revealed the personal toll of her husband’s political alignment with the Trump administration in a series of candid podcast interviews.
During her appearance on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, on “The View,” Hines faced intense questioning about Kennedy’s stance on vaccines and his qualifications to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Reflecting on the contentious interview with hosts Sunny Hostin, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sara Haines, and Alyssa Farah Griffin, Hines told Billy Bush on his Hot Mics podcast that she had hoped for a more personal conversation about her memoir “Unscripted.” Instead, according to The Hollywood Reporter, the co-hosts “just wanted to grill me about Bobby.”
The actress admitted that none of the panel members asked her a single question about her book during the October 14 appearance. When Hostin questioned Kennedy’s qualifications and claimed he spread misinformation, Hines attempted to respond but was quickly interrupted, prompting her to interject and ask if she could finish her response. The conversation ended with Goldberg inviting Hines to return, to which the actress replied with a surprised “Really?”
The political divide has cost Hines friendships that predated her 2014 marriage to Kennedy. On “The Katie Miller Podcast,” she acknowledged losing friends who found her marriage too emotionally overwhelming to maintain their relationships. “I have had some friends who are so emotional about politics that even me being married to Bobby is too much for them,” Hines stated, according to Fox News. She described these friends as being unable to relax around her due to their feelings about her husband’s political positions.
Comedian Tig Notaro, who previously hosted a podcast with Hines, publicly discussed ending their friendship on “Breaking Bread With Tom Papa” earlier in October. Notaro explained that beliefs that once seemed like minor irritations became more prominent as Kennedy moved into the political spotlight. She indicated that when Kennedy endorsed Trump, maintaining the friendship became too difficult, despite their bond predating Hines’s marriage.
The professional consequences extend beyond personal relationships. When asked if her husband’s politics had cost her roles in Hollywood, Hines responded that this was probably the case. However, she noted that the entertainment industry’s reaction has been mixed, with some people approaching her to express interest in working together while others cannot separate her professional identity from her marriage.
Hines’s relationship with her “Curb Your Enthusiasm” co-star Larry David has also deteriorated. During her conversation with Bush on October 27, 2025, she revealed that she probably had not spoken to David since an event for the show’s Season 12 finale in early 2024. Despite this distance, Hines maintained that she loves David and believes he loves her, attributing the communication breakdown to politics complicating conversations.
David, who introduced Hines to Kennedy at a ski event fundraiser in 2004, initially advised against the relationship. In a 2022 interview on Alec Baldwin’s podcast, Hines recalled David’s reaction: “He introduced us, just because we were at the same event. But then later Larry was like, ‘That’s a terrible idea. No, no, no. Don’t get involved.'” The comedian, a vocal opponent of Trump, clarified to the New York Times in 2023 that while he supported Hines personally, he was not supporting Kennedy’s presidential ambitions.
On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, the Daily Mail published comments from unnamed Hollywood sources expressing bewilderment at Hines’s political transformation. “It’s so hard to make sense in my head because she was so liberal before,” a longtime Hollywood friend reportedly told the outlet, according to Page Six. “And now, she’s married to a member of the Trump administration and she’s literally defending his ridiculous **** on ‘The View.'”
While losing connections in Hollywood, Hines has embraced her new social circle in Washington. She described developing genuine friendships with administration figures, including President Trump, whom she found to be a very genuine person interested in hearing what others had to say. She told Tucker Carlson that she really likes the people Kennedy works with, finding them enjoyable to spend time with at dinner parties. Hines expressed particular fondness for Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife Jeanette, as well as Education Secretary Linda McMahon, whom she described as reminiscent of family.
First Lady Melania Trump has also been welcoming, according to Hines. After the inauguration, Melania encouraged her to enjoy her life in Washington, words that Hines described as exactly what she needed to hear at that moment. Despite the social and professional costs in her former circles, Hines indicated that she is finding fulfillment in her new environment and relationships.
